Display panel manufacturing system and method of manufacturing a display panel using the same

ABSTRACT

A display panel manufacturing system includes a substrate providing module configured to provide a substrate including an active region on which thin-film transistors are disposed, and a peripheral region adjacent to the active region, a test substrate providing module configured to provide a test substrate, an organic film forming module configured to form an ink pattern on each of the substrate and the test substrate, the organic film forming module including a plurality of heads, each of which is configured to drop an ink, an offset inspection module configured to inspect the ink pattern on the substrate, a pattern inspection module configured to inspect the ink pattern on the test substrate, and a droplet inspection module configured to inspect an ink, which is dropped from a head selected from the heads.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/996,531, filed Jun. 4, 2018, and claims priority to and the benefitof Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0128084, filed Sep. 29, 2017,each of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as iffully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND Field

Exemplary embodiments/implementations of the invention relate generallyto a display panel manufacturing system and a method of manufacturing adisplay panel using the same, and more specifically, to a display panelmanufacturing system including an inkjet device and a method ofmanufacturing a display panel using the same.

Discussion of the Background

A display panel is used to provide image information to a user. Thedisplay panel includes a plurality of pixels configured to display animage. For an organic light emitting display panel, each of the pixelsincludes an organic thin-film pattern containing a luminescent material.

The organic thin-film pattern is formed by various methods such asphotolithographic and inkjet methods. For the inkjet method, an organicink is dropped in an opening to form an ink pattern constituting theorganic thin-film pattern.

In the case where the ink is dropped at an undesired position or isformed to incompletely or excessively fill the opening, the organicthin-film pattern may be formed to have defects. That is, quality of theorganic thin-film pattern is highly dependent on whether the ink isdropped at a desired position.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only forunderstanding of the background of the inventive concepts, and,therefore, it may contain information that does not constitute priorart.

SUMMARY

Some exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept provide a displaypanel manufacturing system, which is configured to perform an inspectionprocess during an inkjet process.

Some exemplary embodiments provide a display panel manufacturing method,in which an inkjet process and an inspection process are simultaneouslyperformed.

According to some exemplary embodiments, a display panel manufacturingsystem may include a substrate providing module configured to provide asubstrate including an active region, on which thin-film transistors aredisposed, and a peripheral region adjacent to the active region, a testsubstrate providing module configured to provide a test substrate, anorganic film forming module configured to form an ink pattern on each ofthe substrate and the test substrate, the organic film forming moduleincluding a plurality of heads, each of which is configured to drop anink, an offset inspection module configured to inspect the ink patternon the substrate, a pattern inspection module configured to inspect theink pattern on the test substrate, and a droplet inspection moduleconfigured to inspect an ink, which is dropped from a head selected fromthe heads.

In some exemplary embodiments, the organic film forming module, theoffset inspection module, and the droplet inspection module may beconfigured to move together.

In some exemplary embodiments, the organic film forming module may beconfigured to form first ink patterns on the test substrate, and thepattern inspection module may be configured to inspect the first inkpatterns and to adjust positions of the heads.

In some exemplary embodiments, the organic film forming module may beconfigured to form second ink patterns on the substrate, and the offsetinspection module may be configured to inspect alignment accuracybetween patterns, which are respectively formed on the active region andthe peripheral region and are selected from the second ink patterns, andto adjust positions of the heads.

In some exemplary embodiments, the heads may be configured to move in adirection perpendicular to a motion direction of the substrate by theoffset inspection module, and to move and rotate in a directionperpendicular to the motion direction of the substrate by the patterninspection module.

In some exemplary embodiments, the selected head may be selected fromthe heads, when the first ink patterns or the second ink patterns areinspected.

In some exemplary embodiments, each of the heads may include a pluralityof nozzles, and at least one of the nozzles of the selected head doesnot eject the ink or forms an ink pattern whose size may be differentfrom that of a reference ink pattern.

In some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection module may includea laser irradiation device and an electronic balance device, and thelaser irradiation device may be provided between the electronic balancedevice and the selected head and may be configured to inspect an ink,which is provided from the selected head to the electronic balancedevice.

In some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection module may furtherinclude a filter, the laser irradiation device includes a laserirradiation part, which is configured to irradiate the ink with a laserbeam, and a laser receiving part, which is configured to receive a laserbeam emitted from the ink, and the filter may be configured to controlan intensity of a laser beam, which is incident from the laserirradiation part, and to control directivity of a laser beam, which isemitted from the ink.

In some exemplary embodiments, the filter may include a diffractionslit.

In some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection module furtherincludes an ink suction device, and the ink suction device may be placedbetween the electronic balance device and the selected head and may beused to suction an ink to be leaked to an outside of the electronicbalance device.

According to some exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept, amethod of manufacturing a display panel nu providing a substrate,forming at least one ink pattern on the substrate to form an organicpattern, and a pattern inspection step of inspecting alignment accuracyof the ink pattern, an offset inspection step of inspecting alignmentaccuracy between the ink pattern and the substrate, and a dropletinspection step of inspecting an ink, which is dropped on the substrateto form the ink pattern, the step of inspecting the ink pattern may beperformed during the step of forming the organic pattern.

In some exemplary embodiments, the ink pattern may be formed by droppingan ink from a head to the substrate, and the ink pattern inspection stepmay be performed to adjust a position of the head.

In some exemplary embodiments, the pattern inspection step may beperformed to change a position of the head through a translationalmotion and a rotational motion on a plan view, and the offset inspectionstep may be performed to change the position of the head through atranslational motion on a plan view.

In some exemplary embodiments, the head includes a plurality of heads,each of which may be independently controlled.

In some exemplary embodiments, the head includes a plurality of heads,and the droplet inspection step may be performed to inspect an inkdropped from a single head, which may be selected from the heads.

In some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection step may beperformed to adjust an amount of ink dropped from the selected singlehead, and the selected head may be selected in at least one of thepattern inspection step and the offset inspection step.

In some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection step may beperformed to replace the selected single head with a new head.

In some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection step may beperformed using a laser beam.

In some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection step may beperformed using an electronic balance device.

Additional features of the inventive concepts will be set forth in thedescription which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concepts.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of theinvention, and together with the description serve to explain theinventive concepts.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a displaypanel according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a display panel manufacturing systemaccording to some exemplary embodiments.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E are plan views illustrating a display panelmanufacturing system according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a display panelmanufacturing system according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a portion of the substrateshown in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are plan views, each illustrating a portion ofa display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are plan views, each illustrating a portion of a displaypanel manufacturing system according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view schematically illustrating a portion of adisplay panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments.

FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a portion of a test substrate.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are plan views schematically illustrating a portion ofa display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating some steps in a method ofmanufacturing a display panel according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating some steps of manufacturing a displaypanel according to some exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a portion of a structure shown in FIG.12.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are cross-sectional views, each illustrating a portionof a display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a displaypanel according to some exemplary embodiments.

It should be noted that these figures are intended to illustrate thegeneral characteristics of methods, structure and/or materials utilizedin certain example exemplary embodiments and to supplement the writtendescription provided below. These drawings are not, however, to scaleand may not precisely reflect the precise structural or performancecharacteristics of any given exemplary embodiment, and should not beinterpreted as defining or limiting the range of values or propertiesencompassed by example exemplary embodiments. For example, the relativethicknesses and positioning of molecules, layers, regions and/orstructural elements may be reduced or exaggerated for clarity. The useof similar or identical reference numbers in the various drawings isintended to indicate the presence of a similar or identical element orfeature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of various exemplary embodiments or implementations of theinvention. As used herein “embodiments” and “implementations” areinterchangeable words that are non-limiting examples of devices ormethods employing one or more of the inventive concepts disclosedherein. It is apparent, however, that various exemplary embodiments maybe practiced without these specific details or with one or moreequivalent arrangements. In other instances, well-known structures anddevices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring various exemplary embodiments. Further, various exemplaryembodiments may be different, but do not have to be exclusive. Forexample, specific shapes, configurations, and characteristics of anexemplary embodiment may be used or implemented in another exemplaryembodiment without departing from the inventive concepts.

Unless otherwise specified, the illustrated exemplary embodiments are tobe understood as providing exemplary features of varying detail of someways in which the inventive concepts may be implemented in practice.Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the features, components,modules, layers, films, panels, regions, and/or aspects, etc.(hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as “elements”), ofthe various exemplary embodiments may be otherwise combined, separated,interchanged, and/or rearranged without departing from the inventiveconcepts.

The use of cross-hatching and/or shading in the accompanying drawings isgenerally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements. Assuch, neither the presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shadingconveys or indicates any preference or requirement for particularmaterials, material properties, dimensions, proportions, commonalitiesbetween illustrated elements, and/or any other characteristic,attribute, property, etc., of the elements, unless specified. Further,in the accompanying drawings, the size and relative sizes of elementsmay be exaggerated for clarity and/or descriptive purposes. When anexemplary embodiment may be implemented differently, a specific processorder may be performed differently from the described order. Forexample, two consecutively described processes may be performedsubstantially at the same time or performed in an order opposite to thedescribed order. Also, like reference numerals denote like elements.

When an element, such as a layer, is referred to as being “on,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer orintervening elements or layers may be present. When, however, an elementor layer is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly connected to,”or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there are nointervening elements or layers present. To this end, the term“connected” may refer to physical, electrical, and/or fluid connection,with or without intervening elements. Further, the D1-axis, the D2-axis,and the D3-axis are not limited to three axes of a rectangularcoordinate system, such as the x, y, and z-axes, and may be interpretedin a broader sense. For example, the D1-axis, the D2-axis, and theD3-axis may be perpendicular to one another, or may represent differentdirections that are not perpendicular to one another. For the purposesof this disclosure, “at least one of X, Y, and Z” and “at least oneselected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z” may be construed as Xonly, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z,such as, for instance, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. As used herein, the term“and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of theassociated listed items.

Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein todescribe various types of elements, these elements should not be limitedby these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element fromanother element. Thus, a first element discussed below could be termed asecond element without departing from the teachings of the disclosure.

Spatially relative terms, such as “below,” “lower,” “upper,” “side”(e.g., as in “sidewall”), and the like, may be used herein fordescriptive purposes, and, thereby, to describe one elementsrelationship to another element(s) as illustrated in the drawings.Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentorientations of an apparatus in use, operation, and/or manufacture inaddition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, ifthe apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elements described as“below” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” theother elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” canencompass both an orientation of above and below. Furthermore, theapparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or atother orientations), and, as such, the spatially relative descriptorsused herein interpreted accordingly.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexemplary embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms, “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. Moreover, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,”and/or “including,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It is also noted that, asused herein, the terms “substantially,” “about,” and other similarterms, are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree,and, as such, are utilized to account for inherent deviations inmeasured, calculated, and/or provided values that would be recognized byone of ordinary skill in the art.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure is a part. Terms,such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should beinterpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning inthe context of the relevant art and should not be interpreted in anidealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

Exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts will now be describedmore fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichexemplary embodiments are shown.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a displaypanel according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 2 is a plan viewillustrating a display panel manufacturing system according to someexemplary embodiments. Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, a method of manufacturing a display panel mayinclude a substrate providing step S100, an organic pattern forming stepS200, an inspection step S300, a deposition layer forming step S400, anda display panel forming step S500. The method of manufacturing a displaypanel may be performed using a display panel manufacturing system 1000.

The substrate providing step S100 may include inputting a substrate BPto the display panel manufacturing system 1000. In the display panelmanufacturing system 1000, the organic pattern forming step S200 and theinspection step S300 may be performed. Thus, the substrate BP, on whichall previous processes, except for a process of forming an organicpattern, have been performed, may be provided in the substrate providingstep S100. For example, the substrate BP, on which a process of forminga thin-film transistor has been performed, may be provided in thesubstrate providing step S100. This will be described in more detailbelow.

The organic pattern forming step S200 may include dropping ink, which isformed of or includes an organic material, onto the substrate BP to forman organic thin-film pattern on the substrate BP. In some exemplaryembodiments, a plurality of organic patterns may be formed to correspondto a plurality of pixels, and each of them may include a light-emittingpattern to be described below. This will be described in more detailbelow.

The inspection step S300 may include inspecting the organic pattern andthe dropping ink. In the present exemplary embodiment, the inspectionstep S300 may be performed simultaneously with the organic patternforming step S200. Data, which are produced in the inspection step S300,may be used for the organic pattern forming step S200, and vice versa.The organic pattern forming step S200 may be monitored in real time bythe inspection step S300, and this may make it possible to improvequality of the organic pattern.

The deposition layer forming step S400 may include forming at least onelayer using a deposition process. The deposition layer forming step S400may be performed on the substrate BP, on which the organic pattern isformed. The deposition layer may be formed to encapsulate and protectthe organic pattern.

The display panel forming step S500 may include all steps, which areperformed between the deposition layer forming step S400 and a packingstep. The display panel forming step S500 may further include forming acolor filter or a touch unit on the deposition layer. In addition, thedisplay panel forming step S500 may further include a final inspectionstep, such as an electrical test step or an appearance inspection step.The display panel, which is formed by the display panel forming stepS500, may be delivered to other system and then may be coupled to acircuit board and so forth.

Referring to FIG. 2, the display panel manufacturing system 1000 mayinclude an organic film forming module 100, an offset inspection module200, a pattern inspection module 300, and a droplet inspection module400. As described above, the organic pattern forming step S200 and theinspection step S300 of FIG. 1 may be performed by the display panelmanufacturing system 1000.

The organic film forming module 100, the offset inspection module 200,the pattern inspection module 300, and the droplet inspection module 400may be controlled by a single control unit (not shown). In someexemplary embodiments, the display panel manufacturing system 1000 mayfurther include a rail 10, a substrate provider 20, a test substrateprovider 30, and a gantry part 40. Here, the rail 10 may be used as apathway of the organic film forming module 100, the offset inspectionmodule 200, the pattern inspection module 300, and the dropletinspection module 400, and the substrate provider 20 may be configuredto provide the substrate BP along the rail 10. The test substrateprovider 30 may be configured to provide a test substrate TF along therail 10, and the gantry part 40 may be configured to connect the organicfilm forming module 100, the offset inspection module 200, and thepattern inspection module 300.

The rail 10 may include first, second and third rails 11, 12, 13, whichextend in a first direction D1 and are arranged to be spaced apart fromeach other in a second direction D2 crossing the first direction Dl. Thesubstrate provider 20 and the test substrate provider 30 may be providedto be movable in an extension direction of the rail 10. In the displaypanel manufacturing system 1000 according to some exemplary embodiments,a moving direction R1 of the substrate BP may be defined as the firstdirection Dl. In the present specification, one direction will be usedto indicate two opposite directions on the same straight line.

The substrate provider 20 may be coupled to the first rail 11 and thesecond rail 12 and may be configured to move in the first direction Dl.The substrate provider 20 may be used to provide the substrate BP to theorganic film forming module 100 and the offset inspection module 200.The substrate BP to be provided on the substrate provider 20 isillustrated by a dotted line, for convenience in description.

The test substrate provider 30 may be coupled to the first rail 11 andthe second rail 12 and may be configured to move in the first directionDl. The test substrate provider 30 may be used to provide the testsubstrate TF to the pattern inspection module 300 and the dropletinspection module 400. The test substrate TF to be provided on the testsubstrate provider 30 is illustrated by a dotted line, for conveniencein description.

The gantry part 40 may extend in the second direction D2 and may be usedto connect the organic film forming module 100, the offset inspectionmodule 200, and the droplet inspection module 400. Thus, motions R2 ofthe organic film forming module 100, the offset inspection module 200,and the droplet inspection module 400 may be simultaneously executed inthe first direction D1.

The organic film forming module 100 may be configured to drop ink, whichis formed of or includes an organic material, onto the substrate BP orthe test substrate TF to form an organic pattern. A plurality of organicpatterns may be overlapped to each other to form an organic film. Theorganic film forming module 100 may include an inkjet device. Forexample, although not shown, the organic film forming module 100 mayinclude a plurality of heads. Each of the heads may include a pluralityof nozzles, through which the ink is ejected. Positions of the heads maybe independently controlled, within the organic film forming module 100.This will be described in more detail below.

The offset inspection module 200 may be used to inspect an organicpattern formed on the substrate BP. For example, the offset inspectionmodule 200 may inspect a position of the organic pattern on thesubstrate BP to produce offset inspection result data. The offsetinspection result data may be shared with the organic film formingmodule 100 and the substrate provider 20 and may affect alignmentbetween the heads of the organic film forming module 100 and thesubstrate BP. The heads of the organic film forming module 100 may bemoved and aligned in the second direction D2, based on the offsetinspection result data, and the substrate BP may be moved and aligned inthe first direction Dl. Accordingly, the organic pattern may be stablyformed at a desired position of the substrate BP, using the organic filmforming module 100.

The pattern inspection module 300 may be used to inspect an organicpattern formed on the test substrate TF. The pattern inspection module300 may inspect alignment accuracy, size, and presence/absence of theorganic pattern formed on the test substrate TF to produce patterninspection result data. The pattern inspection result data may be shapedby the organic film forming module 100 and may affect positionalalignment between the heads of the organic film forming module 100. Inaddition, the pattern inspection result data may be shared with thedroplet inspection module 400 and may be used to control an amount ofthe ink to be dropped through the head of the organic film formingmodule 100.

The pattern inspection module 300 may be coupled to the first rail 11and the second rail 12 and may be moved or fixed in the first directionDl. The test substrate provider 30 may be configured to reciprocallymove between the organic film forming module 100 and the patterninspection module 300 and to provide the test substrate TF to theorganic film forming module 100 or the pattern inspection module 300.

The droplet inspection module 400 may be coupled to the third rail 13and may be configured to be movable along the third rail 13 or in thefirst direction D1. The droplet inspection module 400 may bemechanically coupled to the organic film forming module 100 and theoffset inspection module 200 by the gantry part 40. Accordingly, evenwhen the droplet inspection module 400 and the organic film formingmodule 100 are being moved along different rails, the motion of thedroplet inspection module 400 may be controlled to be parallel to themotion R2 of the organic film forming module 100.

The droplet inspection module 400 may be configured to inspect ink,which is dropped through a head selected from the heads of the organicfilm forming module 100. The selected head of the organic film formingmodule 100 may be moved or provided to the droplet inspection module 400through the gantry part 40.

The droplet inspection module 400 may be configured to inspect theselected head of the organic film forming module 100 to produce dropletinspection result data. If the inspection of the head using the dropletinspection module 400 is finished, a step of adjusting an amount of inkto be dropped through the selected head may be performed, based on thedroplet inspection result data, and then may be moved to the organicfilm forming module 100 or may be replaced with other head. This will bedescribed in more detail below.

In the display panel manufacturing system 1000 according to someexemplary embodiments, the offset inspection module 200, the patterninspection module 300, and the droplet inspection module 400 may besystematically connected to the organic film forming module 100. Forexample, the offset inspection result data, the pattern inspectionresult data, and the droplet inspection result data may be shared inreal time by the organic film forming module 100 and may be used foralignment and adjustment.

According to some exemplary embodiments, the display panel manufacturingsystem 1000 may be configured to simultaneously perform the organicpattern forming step S200 and the inspection step S300. The organicpattern forming step S200 may be performed to adjust the formation of anorganic pattern, based on inspection result data transmitted in realtime from the inspection step S300. As a result, it may be possible torealize a real-time monitoring of the organic pattern forming step S200,and this may make it possible to continuously maintain a process flowand to improve process efficiency (i.e., to reduce process time andcost) in a manufacturing process.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E are plan views illustrating a display panelmanufacturing system according to some exemplary embodiments. In detail,each of FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E schematically illustratesconfiguration of the display panel manufacturing system 1000 in apattern inspection step S310 or an offset inspection step S320.

As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E, the organic film formingmodule 100 may be provided at a side of the gantry part 40. The organicfilm forming module 100 may include a plurality of heads 110. Forconvenience in illustration, the heads 110 are painted in black. Theheads 110 may be arranged in the second direction D2, but thearrangement may be variously changed. In the present exemplaryembodiment, the heads 110 are illustrated to be alternately arranged intwo columns in the first direction Dl.

The offset inspection module 200 may be provided at an opposite side ofthe gantry part 40. The offset inspection module 200 may include atleast on camera module CM. In some exemplary embodiments, a plurality ofcamera modules CM may be provided to be spaced apart from each other inthe second direction D2.

The number of the camera module CM may be one or more, and in certainexemplary embodiments, at least one of the camera modules CM may beconfigured to be linearly movable in the second direction D2.Accordingly, the offset inspection module 200 may be used to inspect allregions of the substrate BP in the second direction D2 with ease.

The pattern inspection module 300 may include an imaging module 310 anda supporting module 320. The imaging module 310 may be fixed by thesupporting module 320, and the supporting module 320 may be coupled tothe rail 10 and may be used to move or fix the imaging module 310 in thefirst direction Dl.

The imaging module 310 may include the camera module CM. The number ofthe camera module CM may be one or more, and in certain exemplaryembodiments, at least one of the camera modules CM may be configured tobe linearly movable in the second direction D2. Accordingly, the patterninspection module 300 may be used to inspect all regions of thesubstrate BP in the second direction D2 with ease.

Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will be described with referenceto FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and 3E.

FIGS. 3A and 3B may correspond to the pattern inspection step S310(e.g., see FIG. 1). In detail, referring to FIG. 3A, the patterninspection step S310 may start to perform when the test substrateprovider 30 moves toward the organic film forming module 100. The testsubstrate provider 30 may provide the test substrate TF to the organicfilm forming module 100. The organic film forming module 100 may be usedto form an ink pattern (not shown) on the test substrate TF.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the test substrate provider 30 may be movedin the first direction D1 to provide the test substrate TF to thepattern inspection module 300. The pattern inspection module 300 mayinspect the ink pattern, which is formed on the test substrate TF, usingthe imaging module 310, to produce pattern inspection result data. Thepattern inspection result data may be prepared to contain information onalignment accuracy, size, and presence/absence of the ink pattern.

The pattern inspection result data may be shared with the organic filmforming module 100 and may be used to adjust positions of the heads 110.The adjustment of the positions of the heads 110, using the patterninspection result data, may be performed through a translational motionin the second direction D2 and through a rotational motion of each ofthe heads 110.

FIGS. 3C, 3D, and 3E may correspond to the offset inspection step S320(e.g., see FIG. 1) and the organic pattern forming step S200. In detail,referring to FIG. 3C, the offset inspection step S320 may be performedto move the substrate provider 20 toward the organic film forming module100. The substrate provider 20 may provide the substrate BP to theorganic film forming module 100. The organic film forming module 100 maybe used to form an ink pattern (not shown) on the substrate BP.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, the substrate provider 20 may be movedin the first direction D1 or in a direction depicted by the arrow toprovide the substrate BP to the offset inspection module 200. The offsetinspection module 200 may inspect the ink pattern, which is formed onthe substrate BP, using the camera module CM, to produce offsetinspection result data. The offset inspection result data may beprepared to contain information on alignment accuracy between the inkpattern and the substrate BP. In addition, the offset inspection resultdata may be prepared to further contain information on size andpresence/absence of the ink pattern.

The offset inspection result data may be shared with the organic filmforming module 100 and may be used to adjust positions of the heads 110.The adjustment of the positions of the heads 110, using the offsetinspection result data, may be performed through a translational motionin the second direction D2.

In some exemplary embodiments, the offset inspection result data mayalso be shared with the substrate provider 20 and may be used to adjusta position of the substrate BP. The adjustment of the position of thesubstrate BP, using the offset inspection result data, may be performedthrough a translational motion in the first direction Dl.

As shown in FIGS. 3D and 3E, the substrate provider 20 may bereciprocally moved in the first direction D1 or in a direction depictedby the arrow. The adjustment of the positions of the heads 110 using thepattern inspection result and the offset inspection result may beperformed in a real time manner. Owing to the reciprocal motion of thesubstrate provider 20, the substrate BP may be repeatedly provided tothe organic film forming module 100. The ink pattern formed on thesubstrate BP by the organic film forming module 100 may be stacked tohave a multi-layered structure or may be formed to cover the entiresurface of the substrate BP, thereby forming an organic pattern OP. Theorganic pattern OP may correspond to a light-emitting pattern to bedescribed below.

As shown in FIG. 3E, when the formation of the organic pattern OP isfinished, a display panel DP may be transferred from the display panelmanufacturing system 1000 to other system. In such other system, thedeposition layer forming step S400 (e.g., see FIG. 1) may be performedon the display panel DP.

As shown in FIG. 3E, when the display panel DP is moved to the outside,the test substrate provider 30 may be moved in the arrow direction toprovide the test substrate TF to the organic film forming module 100. Inother words, the pattern inspection step S310 described with referenceto FIG. 3A may be performed again. In the display panel manufacturingsystem 1000 according to some exemplary embodiments, the organic patternforming step S200 and the inspection step S300 may be performed atsubstantially the same time through the afore-described process flow.Thus, it may be possible to reduce process time and cost in a process ofmanufacturing a display panel. In addition, since the process of formingthe organic pattern is monitored in real time, it may be possible toimprove reliability of the display panel DP.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a display panelmanufacturing system according to some exemplary. FIG. 5 is across-sectional view illustrating a portion of the substrate shown inFIG. 4. Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will be described withreference to FIGS. 4 and 5. For concise description, an elementpreviously described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, and3E may be identified by a similar or identical reference number withoutrepeating an overlapping description thereof.

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of the system connected to the organic filmforming module 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the gantry part 40 may bemechanically or physically connected to the organic film forming module100 provided on the substrate provider 20. The gantry part 40 mayinclude a coupling unit 41 and a moving unit 42.

The coupling unit 41 may be a line shaped structure extending in thesecond direction D2. The coupling unit 41 may be provided to cross thefirst to third rails 11, 12, and 13 shown in FIG. 2. The coupling unit41 may be configured to mechanically or physically couple the organicfilm forming module 100, the offset inspection module 200 (e.g., seeFIG. 1), and the droplet inspection module 400 (e.g., see FIG. 2) toeach other. In addition, the coupling unit 41 may be configured toelectrically connect the organic film forming module 100, the offsetinspection module 200, the pattern inspection module 300, and thedroplet inspection module 400 to each other through signal lines (notshown).

The moving unit 42 may be provided to connect the coupling unit 41 tothe organic film forming module 100. The moving unit 42 may include afirst portion C1, which is provided to surround the coupling unit 41,and a second portion C2, which is connected to the first portion C1 andthe organic film forming module 100. The first portion C1 may be coupledto the coupling unit 41 to be movable along the coupling unit 41. Themoving unit 42 may be configured to allow the organic film formingmodule 100 to be easily moved along the coupling unit 41 and in thesecond direction D2.

For convenience in illustration, the organic film forming module 100 isillustrated to be coupled to a lower portion of the gantry part 40, butthe inventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, the organicfilm forming module 100 may be provided at a side of the offsetinspection module 200 and a side of the coupling unit 41, with thecoupling unit 41 interposed therebetween.

The substrate BP, which is provided on the substrate provider 20 andadjacent to the organic film forming module 100, is schematicallyillustrated in FIG. 4. The substrate BP may have a front surface FSincluding an active region AA and a peripheral region NAA. The frontsurface FS may be a surface, on which an ink pattern (not shown) formedby the organic film forming module 100 is provided.

In some exemplary embodiments, a plurality of active regions AA may beprovided. Thus, the substrate BP may correspond to a mother board. Eachof the active region AA may correspond to a display region of a displaypanel. However, the inventive concept is not limited thereto, and forexample, the substrate BP may be configured to have one active regionAA.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the display panel DP. Thedisplay panel DP may include the substrate BP shown in FIG. 4. Thedisplay panel DP may correspond to the display panel DP shown in FIG.3E.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display panel DP may include a base substrateSB, a pixel PX, a plurality of insulating layers IL1, IL2, IL3, IL4, andIL5, and an inspection pattern ISP. The insulating layers IL1, IL2, IL3,IL4, and IL5 are sequentially stacked on the base substrate SB, asexemplarily shown in FIG. 5, but the inventive concept is not limitedthereto.

The base substrate SB may have an insulating property. For example, thebase substrate SB may be or include a glass substrate, a plasticsubstrate, a silicon substrate, an insulating film, or any combinationthereof

The pixel PX may be provided on the base substrate SB. The pixel PX maybe provided in the active region AA. The pixel PX may include athin-film transistor TR and a display element DE. The thin-filmtransistor TR may include a semiconductor pattern AL, a controlelectrode CE, an input electrode IE, and an output electrode OE.

The control electrode CE may be provided on the first insulating layerIL1 and may be spaced apart from the semiconductor pattern AL by thefirst insulating layer IL1 interposed therebetween. The controlelectrode CE may be provided to be overlapped with the semiconductorpattern AL, when viewed in a plan view. The input electrode IE and theoutput electrode OE may be provided on the third insulating layer IL3,and each of them may penetrate the first to third insulating layers IL1,IL2, and IL3, thereby being coupled to the semiconductor pattern AL.

The display element DE may be an organic light emitting device. Forexample, the display element DE may include a first electrode E1, anorganic pattern EP, and a second electrode E2. In the display elementDE, depending on potential difference between the first electrode E1 andthe second electrode E2, the organic pattern EP may be activated to emitlight.

The first electrode E1 may be provided on the fourth insulating layerIL4 and may penetrate the fourth insulating layer IL4, thereby beingcoupled to the thin-film transistor TR. The second electrode E2 may beprovided on the fifth insulating layer IL5. The second electrode E2 maybe provided in the opening OPP, which is formed to penetrate the fifthinsulating layer IL5, and may be spaced apart from the first electrodeE1 by the organic pattern EP interposed therebetween.

The organic pattern EP may be provided between the first electrode E1and the second electrode E2. The organic pattern EP may be provided inthe opening OPP. The organic pattern EP may be formed of or include aluminescent material. Depending on potential difference between thefirst electrode E1 and the second electrode E2, excitons generatinglight may be produced in the organic pattern EP. The organic pattern EPmay include a luminescent or light-emitting pattern.

Although not shown, the display element DE may further include anorganic layer, which is provided between the organic pattern EP and thefirst electrode E1 and/or between the organic pattern EP and the secondelectrode E2. The organic layer may include a hole control layer and/oran electron control layer. The organic layer may be configured toimprove light-emitting efficiency of the display element DE and toincrease life of the display element DE.

In some exemplary embodiments, the inspection pattern ISP may beprovided on the peripheral region NAA. The inspection pattern ISP may beprovided between the fifth insulating layer IL5 and the second electrodeE2. The inspection pattern ISP may be formed of or include the samematerial as the organic pattern EP. For example, in the case where, asshown in FIG. 5, a plurality of inspection patterns ISP are provided,one of them may be formed of or include the same material as the organicpattern EP adjacent thereto, and another may be formed of or include thesame material as other organic pattern EP in the active region AA.

The ink pattern formed by the organic film forming module 100 mayinclude the organic pattern EP and the inspection pattern ISP. Theorganic pattern EP may be formed on the active region AA, and theinspection pattern ISP may be formed on the peripheral region NAA.

The organic pattern EP may be formed by stacking a plurality of inkpatterns. That is, the substrate BP may have a structure, in which theorganic pattern EP of the display panel DP is not formed yet (i.e.,having the fifth insulating layer IL5, in which the opening OPP isformed). Thus, the substrate BP shown in FIG. 4 may be configured toinclude the base substrate SB, the thin-film transistor TR, the firstelectrode El, and the first to the fifth insulating layers IL1 to IL5.

To form the organic pattern EP, it is necessary to stably drop the inkpatterns in the opening OPP. Alignment accuracy between the inspectionpattern ISP and the opening OPP may be used as alignment accuracybetween the ink pattern and the substrate, in the offset inspection stepS320.

An amount of ink to be dropped through the organic film forming module100 may affect a thickness of the organic pattern EP. If the amount ofink to be dropped through the organic film forming module 100 isreduced, the opening OPP may be incompletely filled with the organicpattern EP, and if the amount of ink to be dropped through the organicfilm forming module 100 is increased, the organic pattern EP may beformed on a neighboring region beyond the opening OPP; that is, theremay be an over-filling issue.

In some exemplary embodiments, the pattern inspection step S310, theoffset inspection step S320, and a droplet inspection step S330 may beperformed simultaneously with the organic pattern forming step S200, andin this case, the organic pattern EP may be stably formed at apredetermined position and to a desired thickness. Accordingly, it maybe possible to improve reliability of the display panel DP and to reduceprocess cost in a process of manufacturing the display panel DP.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D are plan views, each illustrating a portion ofa display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments. FIGS. 7A and 7B are plan views, each illustrating a portionof a display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments. FIG. 6A illustrates a plan view of the organic film formingmodule 100, and FIGS. 6B and 6C illustrate organic film forming modules100_C1 and 100_C2 whose structures are modified from that of FIG. 6A.FIG. 6D illustrates an example of a head 110 of the organic film formingmodule 100_C2 shown in FIG. 6C. Hereinafter, some exemplary embodimentswill be described with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 7A, and 7B.For concise description, an element previously described with referenceto FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 may be identified by a similar or identicalreference number without repeating a similar or identical descriptionthereof.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the organic film forming module 100 may include aplurality of heads 110 and a surrounding portion 120. The surroundingportion 120 may be configured to allow that the heads 110 to be coupledto each other thereby forming a single body. A control unit (not shown)may be provided in the surrounding portion 120. The control unit may beconfigured to control motions of the heads 110. The surrounding portion120 may be physically and electrically connected to the heads 110.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the organic film forming module 100 may include theheads 110, which are arranged in the second direction D2 and parallel toeach other. A first column heads 110 a which arrays in the seconddirection D2 and a second column heads 110 b which arrays in the seconddirection D2 are shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B for convenience indescription. The first column heads 110 a and the second column heads110 b do not overlap each other in the first direction. In FIG. 6A, thesecond column heads 110 b respectively apart from corresponding firstcolumn heads 110 a by a first gap AP in the second direction D2. And inFIG. 6B, the second column heads 110 b respectively apart fromcorresponding first column heads 110 a by a second gap AP1 greater thanthe first gap AP in the second direction D2.

Motions of the heads 110 may be controlled independently for each of theheads 110. The organic film forming module 100 may be configured tocontrol the motions of the heads 110, and this may make it possible toadjust the alignment accuracy of the ink pattern.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the adjustment of the positions of the heads 110may be achieved by a translational motion R4. The organic film formingmodule 100_C1 may include the heads 110, which are spaced apart fromeach other by the second gap AP1 in the second direction D2.

In certain exemplary embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6C, the adjustment ofthe positions of the heads 110 may be achieved by a rotational motion.The organic film forming module 100_C2 may include the heads 110, whichare arranged to extend in a direction that is inclined to the first andsecond directions D1 and D2.

Referring to FIG. 6D, the head 110 may include a plurality of nozzles111 and a surrounding portion 112. The nozzles 111 may be formed to beinserted into the surrounding portion 112. The surrounding portion 112may be provided to combine the nozzles 111, which are spaced apart fromeach other, to the head 110. Accordingly, motions of the nozzles 111 maybe simultaneously controlled by controlling the motion of the head 110.

The head 110 may be tilted with respect to a first imaginary axis VX1,which extends parallel to the first direction D1, and a second imaginaryaxis VX2, which extends parallel to the second direction D2; forexample, the head 110 may be tilted at an angle θ with respect to thesecond imaginary axis VX2. The head 110 may be rotated about a point ofintersection of the first and second imaginary axes VX1 and VX2. Thus,the nozzles 111 may be configured to be movable in both of the first andsecond directions D1 and D2.

Since the organic film forming module 100 according to some exemplaryembodiments is configured to control the motion of each of the heads110, the nozzles 111 constituting the heads 110 may be designed to bearranged at various positions. Accordingly, the organic film formingmodule 100 may be used to realize various ink pattern arrangementsthrough the translational and rotational motions of the heads 110.

For convenience in illustration, FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate heads 110_S1and 110_S2, each of which includes nozzles 111 arranged in a specificdirection. Referring to FIG. 7A, the head 110_S1 may be aligned toextend in the second direction D2. In other words, the nozzles 111 maybe arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the second directionD2. The head 110_S1 may correspond to the heads 110 shown in FIGS. 6Aand 6B. Here, the two nozzles 111 may be provided to be spaced apartfrom each other by a predetermined space SP1, when measured in thesecond direction D2.

Referring to FIG. 7B, the head 110_S2 may be aligned to extend in adirection that is inclined at an angle to the first and seconddirections D1 and D2. In other words, the nozzles 111 may be arranged tobe spaced apart from each other in the direction that is inclined withrespect to the first and second directions D1 and D2. Here, a space SP2between the two nozzles 111 measured in the second direction D2 may beless than the space SP1 of FIG. 7A. According to some exemplaryembodiments, the space between the nozzles 111 in the second directionD2 may be adjusted through the rotational motion of the head 110_S2, andthus, it may be possible to easily control a space between the inkpatterns.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view schematically illustrating a portion of adisplay panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments. FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a portion of a testsubstrate. For convenience in illustration, some elements are notillustrated in FIG. 8. The pattern inspection step S310 (e.g., seeFIG. 1) is illustrated in FIG. 8, and a portion of the test substrate TFprovided in the pattern inspection step S310 is illustrated in FIG. 9.Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will be described with referenceto FIGS. 8 and 9. For concise description, elements previously describedwith reference to FIGS. 1 to 7B may be identified by a similar oridentical reference number without repeating a similar descriptionthereof.

As described above, in the pattern inspection step S310, the testsubstrate provider 30 (e.g., see FIG. 2) may be configured to providethe test substrate TF including the ink patterns, which are formed usingthe organic film forming module 100 (e.g., see FIG. 2), to the patterninspection module 300 (e.g., see FIG. 2). FIG. 7 illustrates a processof inspecting the ink patterns formed on the test substrate TF using thepattern inspection module 300.

As shown in FIG. 8, the test substrate provider 30 may include aplurality of components. For example, the test substrate provider 30 mayinclude a stage 31, a light source 32, and a roller 33. The stage 31 maybe configured to allow the test substrate TF to be laid thereon. Aportion placed on the stage 31 may be provided to various modules.

Although not shown, the stage 31 may further include a vacuum device,which is configured to hold the test substrate TF. Here, the testsubstrate TF may be in close contact with a surface of the stage 31without any gap therebetween, thereby proving a flat top surface, and itmay be possible to prevent a change in position of the test substrate TFwith respect to the stage 31, which may be caused by the motion of thetest substrate provider 30.

The light source 32 may be provided below the test substrate TF and maybe used to provide light LL to the test substrate TF. The light LL mayirradiate a rear surface of the test substrate TF, thereby improvingvisibility of ink patterns formed on the test substrate TF.

The roller 33 may be configured to coil or uncoil the test substrate TF.In the case where the test substrate TF is provided in the form of aflexible film, the test substrate TF may be uncoiled from the roller 33and may be provided to the stage 31 or may be coiled around the roller33 after the pattern inspection step S310. Accordingly, the testsubstrate TF may be continuously provided in the display panelmanufacturing system.

The pattern inspection module 300 may be configured to inspect aplurality of ink patterns DRP (hereinafter, first ink patterns) formedon the test substrate TF. For example, the pattern inspection module 300may include the imaging module 310, which is used to monitor thealignment accuracy and the shape of the first ink patterns DRP.

Referring to FIG. 9, the first ink patterns DRP may be arranged to forma plurality of columns, which extend in the first direction D1 and arespaced apart from each other in the second direction D2. The firstdirection D1 may be parallel to the motion direction of the substrate BP(e.g., see FIG. 2) and may correspond to the moving path of the testsubstrate provider 30.

Here, the test substrate TF may include a first region AR1, in which thefirst ink patterns DRP are misaligned to each other in the firstdirection D1. For example, the first ink patterns DRP in the firstregion AR1 may not be aligned to each other in the first direction D1.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the test substrate TF may include asecond region AR2, in which an ink pattern is not formed. For example,the second region AR2 may be a region without any ink pattern. Thus, thetest substrate TF may include an empty space such as the second regionAR2.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the test substrate TF may include athird region AR3, in which a relatively large ink pattern is formed. Forexample, the first ink pattern DRP in the third region AR3 may be formedto have a relatively large area, compared with other ink patternsadjacent thereto.

The imaging module 310 according to some exemplary embodiments maydetect an ink pattern, which may be formed in the first region AR1, thesecond region AR2, or the third region AR3, through inspection of thefirst ink patterns DRP. The presence/absence and positions of the first,second, and third regions AR1, AR2, and AR3 may be output as the patterninspection result data and may be used to adjust positions of the heads110 of the organic film forming module 100. According to some exemplaryembodiments, the display panel manufacturing system may be configured toperform a pattern inspection, in which the test substrate TF is used, inreal time during the organic pattern forming step S200. In addition, byinspecting the first ink patterns DRP formed on the test substrate TF,it may be possible to determine whether there is a failure of the heads110 and to correct such a failure in real time. Thus, it may be possibleto reduce process time and cost in a process of manufacturing a displaypanel.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are plan views schematically illustrating a portion ofa display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments. Three of the heads and the test substrate TF areillustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B. Hereinafter, a display panelmanufacturing system according to some exemplary embodiments will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B.

FIG. 10A exemplarily illustrates some of ink patterns, which are formedon the test substrate TF by three heads 110A, 110B, and 110C. Forexample, a first pattern PL1 may be formed by a nozzle, which isincluded in the first head 110A and is positioned most adjacent to thesecond head 110B, a second pattern PL2 may be formed by a nozzle, whichis included in the second head 110B and is positioned most adjacent tothe first head 110A, a third pattern PL3 may be formed by a nozzle,which is included in the second head 110B and is positioned mostadjacent to the third head 110C, and a fourth pattern PL4 may be formedby a nozzle, which is included in the third head 110C and is positionedmost adjacent to the second head 110B.

The first pattern PL1 and the second pattern PL2 may be formed to bespaced apart from each other by a first gap DS1. The third pattern PL3and the fourth pattern PL4 may be formed to be spaced apart from eachother by a second gap DS2. In other words, at a region, in which thefirst head 110A and the second head 110B are positioned adjacent to eachother, the ink pattern formed by the first head 110A may be misalignedcomparing with the ink pattern formed by the second head 110B.Similarly, at a region, in which the second head 110B and the third head110C are positioned adjacent to each other, the ink pattern formed bythe second head 110B may be misaligned comparing with the ink patternformed by the third head 110C.

In the case where the heads are aligned to each other, patterns formedby two adjacent nozzles will be formed along the same or single line.The nozzles in each of the heads 110A, 110B, and 110C may be spacedapart from each other by the same space, and thus, if adjacent nozzlesare arranged along the same or single line, all of the ink patternsformed by the heads 110A, 110B, and 110C may be sequentially aligned.

In the case where the three heads 110A, 110B, and 110C are moved in thearrow direction to adjust positions of the three heads 110A, 110B, and110C, two adjustment patterns (e.g., a first adjustment pattern PL-R1and a second adjustment pattern PL-R2) may be formed on the testsubstrate TF, as shown in FIG. 10B.

When considering the alignment accuracy between the first head 110A andthe second head 110B on the basis of the first pattern PL1 and thesecond pattern PL2, the space between the first head 110A and the secondhead 110B may result from a small misalignment in that the first patternPL1 is formed to be shifted toward the second head 110B, compared withthe second pattern PL2. Based on the result data, the first head 110Amay be rotated in the arrow direction, thereby forming an adjusted firsthead 110A_R. Accordingly, the first gap DS_1 between the first patternPL1 and the second pattern PL2 may be reduced, and both of the firstpattern PL1 and the second pattern PL2 may coincide with the firstadjustment pattern PL-R1.

When considering the alignment accuracy between the second head 110B andthe third head 110C on the basis of the third pattern PL3 and the fourthpattern PL4, the space between the second head 110B and the third head110C may result from a large misalignment. Based on the result data, thethird head 110C may be linearly moved in the arrow direction, therebyforming an adjusted third head 110C_R. Accordingly, the second gap DS_2between the third pattern PL3 and the fourth pattern PL4 may be reduced,and both of the third pattern PL3 and the fourth pattern PL4 maycoincide with a second adjustment pattern PL-R2.

According to some exemplary embodiments, on the basis of the patterninspection result obtained from the ink patterns on the test substrateTF, the heads 110A, 110B, and 110C may be adjusted to form the alignedheads 110A_R, 110B_R, and 110C_R. The adjustment of the positions of theheads may be achieved by a rotational motion and a translational motionand may be controlled independently for each of the heads. In thepresent exemplary embodiment, for convenience in illustration, theposition of the second head 110B is illustrated to be fixed, but theinventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, all of thepositions of the three heads may be adjusted.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating some steps in a method ofmanufacturing a display panel according to some exemplary embodiments.FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the substrate BP and the offset inspectionmodule 200 in the offset inspection step S320 (e.g., see FIG. 1).Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will be described with referenceto FIGS. 11A and 11B. For concise description, an element previouslydescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10B may be identified by asimilar or identical reference number without repeating a similardescription thereof

The active region AA of the substrate BP may include a plurality ofpixel regions PX1, PX2, and PX3. Each of the pixel regions PX1, PX2, andPX3 may correspond to the opening OPP of FIG. 5. As shown, a pluralityof ink patterns DP_P (hereinafter, second ink patterns) may be formed onthe peripheral region NAA of the substrate BP. Each of the second inkpatterns DP_P may correspond to the inspection pattern ISP of FIG. 5.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the second ink patterns DP_P maycorrespond to ink patterns filling the first pixel region PX1. Thus,among the pixel regions PX1, PX2, and PX3, the first pixel region PX isillustrated with a hatching pattern.

As shown in FIG. 11A, the second ink patterns DP_P may be arranged to bespaced apart from each other by a predetermined space DS_P in the seconddirection D2. In FIG. 11A, the second ink patterns DP_P is shown, thesecond ink patterns DP_P may be formed to be spaced apart from areference line RX passing through the first pixel region PX1, by apredetermined gap DS_A.

Also, there may be a region in which the second ink pattern DP_P is notprovided. In this case, the space DS_P between the second ink patternsDP_P may be larger than the space between the first pixel regions PX1.In other words, as shown in FIG. 11A, misalignment may occur between thesecond ink patterns DP_P and the substrate BP.

The offset inspection module 200 may inspect the second ink patternsDP_P while moving a plurality of camera modules CM in the seconddirection D2. Here, the misalignment between the second ink patternsDP_P and the substrate BP may be detected, and the offset inspectionresult data containing information on the misalignment may be produced.

FIG. 11B illustrates the second ink patterns DP_P, which are formedusing the organic film forming module 100 (e.g., see FIG. 2) aligned inconsideration of the offset inspection result data. As shown in FIG.11B, the second ink patterns DP_P may be aligned and arranged along thereference lines RX. Also, the second ink patterns DP_P may be formed insuch a way that the space DS therebetween is substantially equal to thespace between the first pixel regions PX1.

The offset inspection module 200 may be configured to inspect the secondink patterns DP_P and to produce offset inspection result data, in whichinformation on alignment between the second ink patterns DP_P and thesubstrate BP is contained. If the offset inspection result data isreflected, the organic film forming module 100 may stop the alignmentadjustment, based on the offset inspection result, and may form inkpatterns on the active region AA to finish a step of forming organicpatterns on the pixel regions PX1, PX2, and PX3.

Although not shown, the offset inspection module 200 may be configuredto inspect a shape or size of the second ink pattern DP_P and to produceoffset inspection result data, in which information regarding this iscontained. Such offset inspection result data may be reflected to theorganic film forming module 100 and may be used to selectively find afailed head and transfer it to the droplet inspection module 400 (e.g.,see FIG. 2). That is, the droplet inspection step S330 (e.g., seeFIG. 1) may be performed during the offset inspection step S320.

In the display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments, the organic pattern forming step and the inspection stepmay be performed in conjunction with each other, and this may make itpossible to reflect the inspection result of the ink pattern in realtime and to form organic patterns with improved quality. Furthermore,since the organic pattern forming step and the inspection step areperformed simultaneously, it may be possible to reduce process time andcost in a process of manufacturing a display panel.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating some steps of manufacturing a displaypanel according to some exemplary embodiments. FIG. 13 is a diagramillustrating a portion of a structure shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 12schematically illustrates the droplet inspection step S330 (e.g., seeFIG. 1), and FIG. 13 schematically illustrates a cross section of thedroplet inspection module 400 shown in FIG. 12. Hereinafter, someexemplary embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and13.

As shown in FIG. 12, one (e.g., a head 110_S) of the heads 110 in theorganic film forming module 100 may be selected and may be moved to thedroplet inspection module 400. Here, the selected head 110_S may bemoved to the droplet inspection module 400 through the gantry part 40,but the inventive concept is not limited to the example. For example,the selected head 110_S may be moved to the droplet inspection module400 through other path.

The selected head 110_S may be selected, based on data produced in atleast one of the pattern inspection step S310 and the offset inspectionstep S320, as described above. The droplet inspection module 400 may beconfigured to inspect an ink to be dropped from the selected head 110_S.Here, the droplet inspection module 400 may be configured to inspect anink to be dropped from each of the nozzles of the selected head 110_S.For convenience in is illustration, one (e.g., a nozzle 111_S) of thenozzles of the selected head 110_S is exemplarily illustrated in FIG.13.

As shown in FIG. 13, the droplet inspection module 400 may be configuredto examine condition of the nozzle 111_S using an ink DR dropping fromthe nozzle 111_S. The droplet inspection module 400 may include a lightemitting unit 410, a light receiving unit 420, and an ink collectingunit 430.

The light emitting unit 410 may be configured to emit light L1 towardthe ink DR. The light L1, which is incident into the ink DR, may bescattered or transmitted to form light L2 propagating toward the lightreceiving unit 420. The light L2 may contain information on distributionof the ink DR.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the light emitting unit 410 mayinclude a laser emitting device. The light receiving unit 420 mayinclude a photodetector. In the present exemplary embodiment, since thedistribution of the ink DR is measured using a laser beam with highdirectivity, the use of the droplet inspection module 400 may make itpossible to produce highly-accurate droplet distribution data.

The ink collecting unit 430 may be configured to contain the ink DRdropping from the nozzle 111_S. The ink DR may be contained in the inkcollecting unit 430, regardless of whether it is irradiated with thelight L1 or not.

Referring back to FIG. 13, the droplet inspection module 400 may beconfigured to examine all of the nozzles 111_S of the selected head110_S and to produce the droplet inspection result data therefrom. Thedroplet inspection result data may be produced to contain information onink distribution of the nozzles 111_S of the selected head 110_S and onwhether ink is ejected from the nozzles 111_S.

The droplet inspection module 400 may be configured to perform anadjustment step S10 or a replacement step S20 on the selected head110_S, on the basis of the droplet inspection result data. In the casewhere the adjustment step S10 is performed on the selected head 110_S,an amount of the ink to be dropped from the nozzles 111_S may becontrolled to realize a desired ink distribution, and then, the adjustedhead may be returned back to the organic film forming module 100. In thecase where the replacement step S20 is performed on the selected head110_S, a new head 110_N may be moved from a head storage HM to theorganic film forming module 100, and then, the selected head 110_S maybe replaced with the new head 110_N.

According to some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection module400 may be configured to selectively perform a droplet inspectionprocess on the selected head 110_S, and thus, it may be possible toselectively perform the droplet inspection process on a failed head.Since the droplet inspection process on the selected head 110_S isperformed in real time during the pattern inspection step S310 or theoffset inspection step S320, there is no need to perform an additionalscanning process for selecting a head. In addition, by performing theadjustment or replacement step S10 or S20 based on the dropletinspection result data produced by the droplet inspection module 400, itmay be possible to correct a failed head to a normal head and to easilyperform the droplet inspection process even when the organic filmforming module 100 is being operated. Accordingly, it may be possible toreduce a process time taken to perform the droplet inspection processand consequently to reduce the total process time.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are cross-sectional views, each illustrating a portionof a display panel manufacturing system according to some exemplaryembodiments. The ink collecting unit 430 and the nozzle 111_S areschematically illustrated in FIG. 14A, and the droplet inspection module400 and the nozzle 111_S are schematically illustrated in FIG. 14B.Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments will be described with referenceto FIGS. 14A and 14B.

As shown in FIG. 14A, the ink collecting unit 430 may include an inkcontainer 431, an electronic balance device 432, and a suction device433.

the ink container 431 may provide a space for containing the ink DR tobe dropped from the nozzle 111_S. The space in the ink container 431 maybe filled with the ink DR. If necessary, the ink DR filling the inkcontainer 431 may be emptied to the outside through a hose HS, which isconnected to the ink container 431. In certain exemplary embodiments avalve VV may be provided on the hose HS to control a flow rate of theink DR flowing through the hose HS.

The electronic balance device 432 may be provided below the inkcontainer 431. The electronic balance device 432 may be configured tomeasure a weight of the ink DR filling the ink container 431. Theelectronic balance device 432 may be used to continuously monitor aweight of the ink DR to be dropped into the ink container 431. Theweight of the ink DR measured by the electronic balance device 432,along with information on distribution of the ink DR received throughthe light receiving unit 420, may affect a process of producing thedroplet inspection result data.

The suction device 433 may be provided between the nozzle 111_S and theink container 431. The suction device 433 may be provided near adropping path of the ink DR, which is dropped from the nozzle 111_S, andmay be used to collect a portion of the dropping ink DR. Accordingly, itmay be possible to stably collect a portion of the dropping ink DRdeparted from a predetermined path and consequently to prevent the inkDR from being leaked to the outside of the ink container 431.

Referring to FIG. 14B, the droplet inspection module 400 may furtherinclude a plurality of optical filters FT_I and FT_O. The opticalfilters FT_I and FT_O are provided to face each other with the nozzle111_S interposed therebetween.

The first filter FT_I may be provided between the light emitting unit410 and the dropping ink DR. The first filter FT_I may be used toperform a filtering process on the light L1 emitted from the lightemitting unit 410. For example, the first filter FT_I may be configuredto provide light L1_F, which is controlled to have improved directivityand a uniform wavelength, to the ink DR.

The second filter FT_O may be provided between the dropping ink DR andthe light receiving unit 420. The second filter FT_O may be configuredto perform a filtering process on light L1_S, which is scattered by theink DR or is transmitted through the ink DR, and thereby to generatelight L2_F propagating in a direction toward the light receiving unit420.

Accordingly, it may be possible to stably maintain quality of light,which is used to measure distribution of the ink DR, and to stablymaintain an amount of light to be incident into the light receiving unit420. This may make it possible to improve reliability in the dropletinspection process.

According to some exemplary embodiments, the droplet inspection moduleincluding various components may be used to stably measure distributionof the ink DR and to obtain highly accurate droplet inspection result.In addition, the droplet inspection process may be selectively performedon only a selected head and may be performed simultaneously with theorganic pattern forming step. Thus, it may be possible to reduce processtime and cost in a process of manufacturing a display panel.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a displaypanel according to some exemplary embodiments. In a manufacturing methodof FIG. 15, an initial inspection step S600 may be further performed,and except for the initial inspection step S600, the method of FIG. 15may be performed in the same manner as that of FIG. 1. Thus, theelements and features of this example that are similar to thosepreviously shown and described will not be described in much furtherdetail, for the sake of brevity.

As shown in FIG. 15, the method of manufacturing a display panel mayfurther include the initial inspection step S600. The initial inspectionstep S600 may be performed before the substrate providing step S100.

The initial inspection step S600 may include a pattern inspection stepS610 and a droplet inspection step S620. The pattern inspection stepS610 may be performed in the same manner as the pattern inspection stepS310 of the inspection step S300 (e.g., see FIG. 1). Similarly, thedroplet inspection step S620 may be performed in the same manner as thedroplet inspection step S330 of the inspection step S300 (e.g., see FIG.1).

In some exemplary embodiments, since the initial inspection step S600 isfurther performed before the substrate providing step S100, it may bepossible to more uniformly control an initial alignment accuracy of thesubstrate and initial values of the heads of the organic film formingmodule 100 (e.g., see FIG. 2). By virtue of the initial inspection stepS600, it may be possible to reduce the time taken to perform theinspection step S300.

The display panel manufacturing system 1000 (e.g., see FIG. 2) accordingto some exemplary embodiments may be used for the initial inspectionstep S600. According to some exemplary embodiments, a single displaypanel manufacturing system may be used to perform not only the organicpattern forming step S200 but also a step of inspecting an ink patternbefore the organic pattern forming step S200, and thus, it may bepossible to simplify the manufacturing process and to reduce cost forthe manufacturing process.

According to some exemplary embodiments, an inspection step forexamining whether there is ink misalignment is performed during aninkjet process for forming an organic pattern. Accordingly, it may bepossible to reduce process time and cost in a process of manufacturing adisplay panel.

According to some exemplary embodiments, during an organic patternforming step, an ink dropping adjustment may be easily performed in realtime, and a droplet inspection may be selectively performed on a failedhead. Accordingly, it may be possible to simplify a manufacturingprocess and to improve reliability of a display panel.

While exemplary embodiments have been particularly shown and described,it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art thatvariations in form and detail may be made therein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the attached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a display panel,comprising: providing a substrate; forming at least one ink pattern onthe substrate to form an organic pattern; and inspecting the at leastone ink pattern, wherein the inspecting of the at least one ink patterncomprises a pattern inspection step of inspecting an alignment accuracyof the at least one ink pattern, an offset inspection step of inspectingan alignment accuracy between the at least one ink pattern and thesubstrate, and a droplet inspection step of inspecting an ink, the inkis dropped on the substrate to form the at least one ink pattern,wherein the inspecting of the ink pattern is performed during the stepof forming the organic pattern.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: theat least one ink pattern is formed by dropping an ink from a head to thesubstrate; and the inspecting of the at least one ink pattern isperformed to adjust a position of the head.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein: the pattern inspection step is performed to change a positionof the head through a translational motion and a rotational motion on aplan view; and the offset inspection step is performed to change theposition of the head through a translational motion on a plan view. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein the head comprises a plurality of heads,each of the plurality of heads is independently controlled.
 5. Themethod of claim 2, wherein: the head comprises a plurality of heads; thedroplet inspection step is performed to inspect an ink dropped from asingle head; and the single head is selected from the plurality ofheads.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein: the droplet inspection step isperformed to adjust an amount of ink dropped from the selected singlehead; and the selected single head is selected in at least one of thepattern inspection step and the offset inspection step.
 7. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the droplet inspection step is performed to replace theselected single head with a new head.
 8. The method of claim 5, whereinthe droplet inspection step is performed using a laser beam.
 9. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the droplet inspection step is performedusing an electronic balance device.